Friday

It's amazing how something so small can make such a big difference in the kitchen! Not only visually, but also being waaaay easier to keep it clean!

This kind of project usually takes a weekend to be completed and depending on the materials you choose, it can be very cheap. The major thing to figure out, perhaps for me, was what kind of material to use? There are hundreds of choices: Ceramic, wood, stainless steel, granite, glass mosaic, marble, etc. not to mention colors or sizes!

So, I decided on marble because in general, it seems a rather traditional-style material, just the way I wanted. The price for this material was not the cheapest; remember it's good to splurge in areas this small that get tons of attention.

The materials I used:

Marble Mosaics (enough to cover the area plus 15% extra in case of accidents).

Mortar (White, prepared according to specifications).

Sealer

Trowel

Grout

Grout float

Spacers

Sponge

Wet tile saw

Outlet Extenders

Tape measure and level

Silicone

Rosin Paper

First, the walls were cleaned and sanded.

The countertop was covered, leaving a very small open line all along the wall, where the marble is going to sit.

A temporary piece of wood was attached to the wall behind the stove to hold the pieces of marble above this area, make sure is level.

The outlets were extended so at the end they stayed flush to the marble (Turn off the electrical current while working on this).

For certain types of tiles it is important to center the design, usually above the stove. I didn’t have to worry about this.

The mortar was applied to the wall with the notched trowel at a 45 degree angle. I began laying the mosaics, pushing gently to set them in place. Using spacers in between each sheet.

I continued the installation, working around the electrical outlets until everything was covered.

Mixing the mortar

for $70 I bought this wet tile saw
it was one of the cheapest but it worked!
better than renting one!

I waited 24 hours for the mortar to completely dry.

Once the 24 hour period is done, the grout can be applied in a diagonal way with the float. After finishing applying the grout, wait few more minutes for the grout to dry a little before starting to clean the marble with a wet sponge, again in a diagonal way.

Once it was dried and thoroughly cleaned, the sealer was applied to protect the marble from stains, mildew and to help keep it clean.

Sealer

Finally, silicone was applied in between the marble and the countertop.

25 comments:

I'm hopping on over to your blog from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and am just amazed by your gorgeous kitchen redo! My hubby and I first moved into our fixer last summer, and it has been a work in progress. Currently, we are working on your kitchen and are looking for interesting backsplash tiles. Yours is just beautiful - my hubby really loves it {he is sitting next to me right now! lol}. Can you possibly tell me where you purchased your marble tile mosaics? Thank you so much! I am now your newest follower!!!

I linked over from the Inspired Room, and read each step of your kitchen makeover. It is gorgeous and you are amazing. I don't often leave comments, but you deserve big applause. Thanks for sharing your insights and work.

I bought similar tiles a week ago to complete the same project (mine have glass tiles interspersed), then I found your blog! I'm so impressed with your hand-on approach to everything and your sense of style; definitely give me courage! Thank you for sharing, I love your work.

Hi emeterasou! The thing that bother me the most was that while I was cutting the tiles they got separated from the back mesh that hold them together!!The cuts took time, you have to go slowly with the saw, letting it do the job. I didn't aligned the tile to the saw I simply follow lines that I draw on the tiles. To keep them from separating I layed them on a tray to bring them up to the kitchen!You would get soak if not wearing protection while cutting them!For filling remaining small areas I did it litte tile by little tile.

Sorry for answering this late! I tried to reply to your e-mail address but is a non-replay!

Fantastic installation and as a company that sells Carrara we love it. Where did you actually get the mosaic from? It does not look like it is one of ours from The Builder Depot: www.thebuilderdepot.com